Memorial Gym MEMORIAL GYM
ATTENDANCE
The Southeastern Conference’s most historic home for college basketball, Memorial Gymnasium serves as the home court for the Vanderbilt Commodores. Dedicated in 1952 as a memorial to all Vanderbilt men and women who served in World War II, the arena was built as a combination gymnasium and concert hall by the late master architect Edwin Keeble.
Vanderbilt has ranked among the top attendance draws in women’s basketball over the years. Here is a look at where the Commodores have ranked in home attendance dating back to the 1999-2000 season.
Six decades later, the unique style of Memorial Gymnasium — with its benches situated on the baseline, a playing court that sits above portions of the crowd and deafening acoustics — continues to make the Commodores’ home a dreaded stop for opponents. “Memorial Magic,” with its capacity crowds, overflowing student section and lively pep band have assisted in numerous Commodore victories. In the stands, fans across Middle Tennessee have helped Memorial Gymnasium (capacity 14,326) rank among the NCAA’s Top 30 attendance leaders on numerous occassions. On the floor, Vanderbilt has a 414-94 record at home, winning 81.5 percent of its games. Vanderbilt has never had a losing season at home and under Head Coach Melanie Balcomb, Vanderbilt has won 84.0 percent (131-25) of its home games. The Commodores finished 18-2 at home last season and have not lost more than four games at home since finishing 9-5 during the 1998-99 season. This season will feature a brand new video board, installed during the summer of 2012. The display, manufactured by Utah’s Young Electric Sign Company, features four screens that measure 16 feet by 9 feet and includes a 2 foot tall LED display that will wrap around the bottom of the board. Before the 2008-09 season, Vanderbilt’s locker rooms, the video room, the training room and media room were renovated and are now stateof-the-art. The floor was also replaced before the 08-09 season. During the 2009-10 season, the building received new championship banners. In 2002, a $25 million renovation of Memorial Gymnasium was completed, highlighted by yet another one-of-a-kind feature. Connected to the facility sits a new practice gym that includes a three cross-court playing floor, coaching offices, a donor room and a Hall of Champions. Other aspects of the renovation included upgrades of the seating areas, private suites, a new lighting and sound system and a new court design. In all, Memorial Gym has been expanded three times. Constructed with a seating capacity of 6,583, the University saw its first need to increase seating in 1965 with the addition of two north-side balconies. Two years later, a pair of balancing balconies were erected on the south side of the gym and dubbed “The Balconies That Clyde Lee Built.” Capacity has fluctuated throughout the history of the building. It reached its highest number of 15,646 in 1969 when 4,000 seats were added in the east and west ends. When chairback seats in the end zones and suites on the north side were installed in the late 1990s capacity lowered to 14,168. Prior to last season, university officials removed portions of media press row on the south side in an effort to expand the student section by nearly 150 seats. Official capacity for the 2012-13 season will be 16,326.
Season Attendance Year Games 1980-1981 10 1981-1982 14 1982-1983 11 1983-1984 12 1984-1985 10 1985-1986 14 1986-1987 17 1987-1988 13 1988-1989 11 1989-1990 17 1990-1991 14 1991-1992 15 1992-1993 14 1993-1994 14 1994-1995 17 1995-1996 15 1996-1997 14 1997-1998 14 1998-1999 14 1999-2000 14 2000-2001 18 2001-2002 19 2002-2003 13 2003-2004 14 2004-2005 14 2005-2006 16 2006-2007 16 2007-2008 17 2008-2009 16 2009-2010 16 2010-2011 15 2011-2012 20
Total 2,525 6,310 6,950 8,664 4,450 5,750 12,248 7,324 14,265 25,887 20,205 36,266 67,871 73,686 69,788 88,151 67,967 91,056 65,046 44,982 50,650 90,800 57,709 44,352 51,682 65,693 72,215 91,279 76,150 69,521 68,828 82,261
Average 253 451 632 722 445 411 721 563 1,297 1,522 1,443 2,418 4,848 5,253 4,105 5,877 4,854 6,504 4,646 3,213 2,814 4,779 4,439 3,168 3,692 4,106 4,513 5,369 4,759 4,345 4,589 4,113
Nat’l Rank
30th 36th 16th 21st 33rd 31st 23rd 23rd 17th 18th 21st 20th 23rd
Memorial Gym Women’s Basketball Crowds Over 8,000 Attendance Opponent Date 15,317 Tennessee 1/30/1993 15,311 Tennessee 2/7/1999 15,187 Tennessee 2/25/1996 14,848 Tennessee 2/16/1998 14,316 Tennessee 2/17/2008 14,168 Tennessee 2/16/2002 13,227 Tennessee 12/31/1994 13,127 Tennessee 1/19/2006 12,645 Tennessee 1/31/1994 12,417 Tennessee 1/19/1997 12,131 Ohio State 1/6/1993 12,034 Tennessee 2/9/2012 12,009 Tennessee 1/25/2007 11,401 Tennessee 2/2/2003 11,386 Tennessee 2/14/2011 10,561 Tennessee 2/15/2004 10,149 Tennessee 2/24/2000 9,712 Penn State 1/5/2002 9,651 Tennessee 1/16/2005 9,650 Tennessee 1/11/2009 8,919 Holy Cross 1/4/2003 8,511 Florida 1/14/2007 8,412 South Carolina 1/9/2005 8,176 Georgia 2/16/1996 8,121 DePaul 2/19/1997
SHOOT FOR THE STARS
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